Katara's Wedding
by Freya's Kitten
Summary: Zuko finds out some bad news on Katara's wedding day. AU. Jetara/Zutara.


**PLEASE READ:**

Hey,

So this is a "test run" for an idea I have. I've blended the Avatar Universe with our Universe, so there will be things that will pop up. Think of this world as ours, only with the Avatar geography and no bending. Hopefully that makes sense. I'm constantly editing this, so yeah let me know if there's something I should fix.

* * *

Now, Zuko always considered himself a nice guy. Well, maybe not a nice guy, he did have a bad temper; at least that's what everyone kept telling him—especially his uncle.

So, Zuko always considered himself a good guy. Good guys do the right thing when the occasion calls for him to step up. A nice guy would do the right thing when it wasn't necessary and risk looking like a chump. He had his honor to consider. Or his pride as Katara would remind him (when she would get irritated with his unwillingness to help people). So no, he wasn't nor would he ever be a nice guy.

"Hey Jet," he looked down at the black cell phone on the chest of drawers. It was blinking away and playing some irritating song. Something about "lovin'"—Zuko never paid attention to popular music. "Phone."

The men surrounding their friend stopped their congratulations before he caught the phone, "Jet." He plugged a finger into his unoccupied ear. "Yeah…no…What?...No I can't…GUYS!...hold on a minute…I'll call you back."

"Who was that?" Sokka piped up from the corner. The Water Tribe man was keeping the corner as dark as he could, probably mourning his baby sister's wedding. For some reason he had never liked Jet, and he was the first to protest the wedding. Sure Jet wasn't the nicest guy, but he always had good intentions.

"Hey guys!" Suki walked into the room, smiling as if it were her wedding day.

He had to admit that Katara was a generous bride. When his cousin got married she made all her bridesmaids wear hideous lemon yellow puffy dresses, so she could "look like a flawless diamond." Azula, his sister, had threatened to make their cousin walk down the aisle naked whenever she was to be married. This made Zuko and his uncle laugh, because: who would marry Azula?

All of Katara's bridesmaids wore dresses in the same color range (blue, because she was Water Tribe) and flatting style. Suki's dress was some soft color, he had never been good at identifying them, but it was strapless and came to her knees (that was about all he could tell you about dresses, since he never cared about what a girl wore, but knew enough of what to say when they wanted a compliment). Even though Suki wasn't his type, she did look beautiful. "Jet, Katara wanted me to give this to you." She handed him a small black box.

"Thanks," he winked at the (supposed) maid of honor (Katara had told stories about how loud Sokka and Suki could be). Opening the box he found a pair of silver cufflinks with black and white marble rectangles. "She's always thinking about me." Jet sighed, throwing himself onto one of the many plush chairs in the suite. "If only I had something to give her in return." He tossed a small box to Suki; grinning at his brilliance.

She eyed it carefully before opening it up. "JET! SHE'LL LOVE THEM!" Everyone, even Sokka, laughed as her eyes danced and she bounced up and down. Immediately all the men, except Sokka, turned their heads away from the well endowed martial arts instructor. Sokka relaxed back into the chair, clearly thinking to himself that he was one lucky son of a bitch.

"Zuko," She pulled on his sleeve. "You should come with me. As the maid," there was a soft chuckle in the room. Suki shot them a glare. Once again Sokka was the only male left smiling in the room. "As the maid of honor it was my duty--seriously?! It's not that funny a word! Can't you guys grow up! Jeez. It was my _responsibility_ to deliver the bride's gift to the groom. It is now yours, as the best man, to give Jet's gift to Katara." She held out the little black box in her unusually manicured hands.

He stared at it for a second before deciding it was time to be a nice guy.

* * *

"So…" Suki led him through the hotel's hallway to the elevator. "How are you holding up?"

Zuko just stared blankly at her.

"No, you're not allowed to act like you have no idea what I'm talking about." She wagged her finger at him. "I've seen how you've looked at her. Trying to keep everything hidden; for the most part I'd say you did a good job. Too bad for you I get bored easily with all the wedding crap Katara dragged us to go see. Now, if I have to I will beat it out of you. So, how are you holding up?"

They entered the gold plated elevator. Suki pushed the button for the seventh floor. So that's where they were keeping the bridal party. Zuko had listened for three months as Jet complained about how traditional Katara was. That she believed heavily it bad luck hanging over their wedding day and wanted to enforce every good luck charm she could find. For someone so practical she was oddly superstitious.

"How does Sokka put up with you?" He did his best to give her a glare that would make her back down. How does he keep meeting fearless women? "I feel like shit. This is definitely one of the most difficult days of my life."

"Well don't worry. Life sucks and then you die!" Suki deadpanned.

"What?" Zuko growled.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. No, don't worry Zuko. You'll live through today. It'll suck, but if you need me I'm here to talk to you. You can even complain to me during our dance."

"Dance?"

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes at him. "The maid of honor and the best man always dance their first dance together."

"Suki, I can't—" He watched as she ran up to the bridal suite, ignoring whatever it was he was saying. "Dance."

"HI!" She cried into the room as they entered. A chorus of welcomes greeted them.

"Suki?" Katara came out of a side room, the train of her dress was being straightened by her other bridesmaids. Fuck! Suki was right, she was beautiful. Her chocolate skin shone against the white of her gown, and the thick blue sash around her waist made her curves all the more appealing. She had straightened her hair so that it hung over her bare shoulders, and softly framed her round face. "Oh! Zuko!" She walked (as quickly as the dress would allow her) to wrap her arms around his neck and place a kiss on his cheek. She promptly worked on removing the lipstick with her thumb.

He was trying to savor the moment without anyone noticing. "You look…taller." He mumbled out.

Katara frowned at this. "It's the dress," she laughed. Turning her back on him she looked at herself in the mirror. Stepping into her shoes, Ty Lee ducked down to buckle the thin straps together.

"Beautiful. Beautiful," he breathed out. He resisted the urge to pull his hair out. He had to stop that or else he would be completely bald before Uncle.

"How's Jet?" She dipped down to allow her Gran-Gran to pin her extremely long veil in place.

"He's doing well. Everyone keeps congratulating him."

"I bet they are." Suki laughed.

"Katara is the best thing that could have happened to that dog." Gran-Gran placed a kiss on the bride's cheek. "You're mother would be so proud to see you."

Katara smiled, softly. "Really?" she brought a hand to her eyes, a poor attempt at keeping her tears at bay.

"Zuko has a gift for you," Suki said to change Katara's focus.

Oddly enough it worked. "What is it?"

"Uh…" he searched his pockets for the box. "Yeah…here you go!"

She gladly took the small box from him. "It's from Jet right?" Opening the box she found glittering sapphire earrings. "These had to cost him a fortune!" Zuko tried to keep from laughing as she jumped up and down, trying to hold back a squeal.

"HEY!" All the bridesmaids shoved Zuko out of the way to get a better look at Katara's gift. "Oh my god!" "Look at them!" "Beautiful!" "You're so lucky!"

She had disappeared into a sea of blue dresses and high-pitched squeals. Taking this as a chance to leave the room, Zuko carefully made his way to the door. Not even Suki noticed as the girls fussed and primped Katara.

"UH! Taller! Why'd I say THAT?!" The Fire Nation man started to rip his hair out. Walking over to a wall he promptly smacked his forehead against it once, letting it rest against the cool plaster. "Ungh…"

"'Sup?"

"AH!" Zuko readied himself to fight. Maybe he spent too much time at the dojo. "Toph, you really shouldn't do that. How long were you standing there?"

The blind girl was leaning against the wall her arms crossed, looking annoyed as always. She crossed one foot over the other, revealing a bare foot. "You have some wall on you."

"Rea—Toph you're blind."

"Just assuming."

He brushed off some dust from his face. He wasn't going to let her know she was right.

Now, Zuko did not know this girl too well, but he knew enough about her. She was stubborn and very difficult to deal with when in a bad mood. She also amused herself by scaring people as well as mocking them. One thing she did not like though was to talk about herself. Her past and business was just that, hers.

"Why aren't you wearing any shoes?" He leaned against the wall across from her.

"Don't like them. Katara made sure my dress was long enough that it wouldn't be an issue if I went barefoot."

"Mm…"

"I wish Katara was marrying you instead of that dick." Toph mumbled. "He just doesn't treat her like the queen she is. I bet you would."

Did she know? What the hell was with Katara's friends? He eyed the blind girl's calm face. Ok, maybe she didn't know.

"Hm," she smiled knowingly.

Fuck!

* * *

"Hey Zuko." The other groomsmen and Sokka were leaving the suite. Longshot just nodded his head as usual. He always thought it was a good thing that Longshot worked in computers. He almost never had to talk to anyone, if he could talk.

"It's already time?"

"Yeah, we're heading down a little early."

"Jet just had some last minute jitters. Needed some time to himself."

"They won't let be around that ass by myself." Sokka muttered.

"I wonder why," Smellerbee growled. She was the only female to be part of the groom's party; she did not wish to be dressed and painted like a doll like the other bridesmaids. It wasn't so easy to tell since she decided to wear a tux instead of a dress (Katara had asked the tailor to make it slightly more feminine, with little to no luck).

"Alright, I'll bring him down in a minute." Zuko headed back down to the suite. Maybe he should take a shot of whiskey once he got to the room. Hell he could hold his liqueur and he wasn't paying for it. It could cake the day somewhat tolerable.

He could still remember how he and Jet had first met Katara. How Jet got them into another bar fight, but this time Zuko needed stitches (just above his good eye). Katara had led them to the room (and stayed with them as the doctor stitched Zuko up, it was a slow night), the entire time Jet charmed her with his heroic tale of preventing a guy from getting into a fight with his girlfriend.

What really happened was that Jet started the fight with two other guys because they supported their rival university's football team. But Zuko was a dutiful wingman, backing up Jet in almost all situations. Although, if it weren't for Jet ducking a punch that resulted in Zuko getting hit in the back of the head, he would have let Jet get the shit kicked out of him. Not knowing what else to do with his nervousness (and slight drunkenness) did not give him a chance to let Jet know he wanted to try and impress the cute nurse. Asking and flirting with girls wasn't his thing. He was good at being in relationships. Yes, Zuko was a relationship guy. He was great at cuddling. Amazing at doing something to make them smile(usually from doing something stupid). Picking up girls for one night stands, not his thing. But somehow the nurse on that night had been the right sort of girl to completely turn Jet from a "dating" guy into a relationship guy. And now he was going to be a married man.

"No. I miss you too, Jin."

What the--? Zuko peaked into the bedroom of the suite. Jet was pacing around the room, cell phone to his ear. Jin? He was talking to his ex? How long had Jet been in contact with Zuko's ex? They broke up seven (eight?) months ago.

"Yeah, I remember that…you were beautiful…"

Maybe there was no harm. Zuko listened some more. Pre-wedding jitters.

"What do you mean?...I will. Just say the word. There's still time Jin."

Fuck. He was still a dog. Years of defending him had finally come back to bite him in the ass. Jet continued to reassure Jin of his love.

Be a nice guy and let Katara get married to him anyway, or be a good guy and reveal Jet for the liar that he is. It could be last minute jitters, so why ruin Katara's chance at happiness? But would this come back years later?

He found Suki's number in his phone. The one time he was thankful for the woman's forcefulness.

"Zuko. What the hell are you calling for? The wedding's about to start."

"Hey Suki. I have some bad news."

* * *

Out of all the possible ways this could have gone down, this wasn't how Zuko would have guessed. Although, it was probably the best and most entertaining way.

Instead of sticking around for Suki to bring Katara down to the groom's suite to catch Jet in the act, he went down to the garden to join everyone else.

He had seen Katara angry once before. He wasn't going to be around to see her rip Jet apart for being unfaithful on their wedding day.

He walked by the bridesmaids. They giggled and smiled as they walked by. He could have sworn one of them winked at him. Best to keep moving.

The garden was beautiful. Of course. Would Katara ever choose something that could not be described as such? Everything was white. The chairs, the flowers, the aisle. The weird arched thing with plants all over it that she and Jet would stand under. And the sun was shining, and the sky a brilliant blue. An absolutely perfect day.

"Sokka," He greeted the surly man. "I think you're going to like today."

"Why's that? My sister's marrying one of the biggest tools there is. Getting her with his whole good guy act." He took a swig from the flask he bought just for the occasion.

"AAAHH!"

Everyone's chatter stopped. The string quartet froze their bows.

"WOMAN LET GO!" Jet's begging could be heard from the lobby.

"NO!" Katara's yell drained the blood from just about everyone's face. Sokka stood up desperately waiting to see what was about to happen. The hope on his face was unmistakable.

The enraged Water Tribe woman pushed through the glass doors. Waiters quickly rushed out of her way. Her train and veil were dramatically trailing behind her, but not in the way she had pictured with the fabric softly waving in the wind. The bridesmaids running behind her (as much as their dresses would allow) crying out about the atrocity.

Too much of today was already turning out to be a nightmare. First the caterer got lost—so he was late by half an hour. Then her special panties for the day had gone missing (at least she had a back up pair). Her brother was steadily getting drunker the closer it got to the ceremony. The photographer confused his dates and could come at all. If only she had someone else plan this wedding! Oh wait! No! Her groom was a raging ass!

Yes. Zuko was glad he got out of the room. This was definitely the scariest he had ever seen Katara.

Eyes were wide as they watched the bride drag her groom by his hair down the isle. Later, years later, Sokka would laugh and say that Katara's rage had been so strong she caused babies to cry.

Jet had stopped struggling to get Katara to let him go and started to struggle to keep up. She hiked her skirts up to her knees so that she could pull him at speeds where he could not escape her.

"Uh…" The Earth Priest looked down in fear and horror as Katara threw Jet at his feet.

Sokka was snickering away in his seat. Zuko looked over to Katara's father who was shocked at her behavior, but clearly wasn't going to stop her. If his daughter was acting like this, then she had a good reason. And her Gran-Gran, well let's just say Zuko had never seen the woman look happier. Aang, though was interesting. Everyone knew that the Air Nomad had a crush on Katara, and he looked scared, yet hopeful. The other guests though looked either terrified or like their favorite guilty-pleasure reality show had just come to life.

"We're waiting," Katara's voice was oddly restrained. "Fine I'll start you off. There's not going to be a wedding today. I would love to tell you why, but I think it's really Jet's place to do so."

Suki came running up the aisle. She quickly sat in Sokka's lap. "I had to take the stairs. I'm not missing this."

"I-uh…I had some last minute jitters." Jet got himself to his feet.

"LIAR!" Suki yelled. Sokka pulled her back down on to his lap, and her hands behind her back.

"Katara please. I love you and I'm deeply sorry." He took his bride's hands in his.

The sound of her fist hitting his jaw was a sound that Zuko and Katara's family would always remember fondly. "Tell them the truth." She growled at him, her fist ready.

"I was on the phone with my ex." Jet hung his head.

"Louder. And be honest this time"

"I was talking to my other girlfriend."

"And what were you saying?"

"That I wouldn't get married if she didn't want me to."

"Moron" Longshot said. Even Katara stopped to look at the man she always assumed was mute. The groomsmen turned their back on Jet; leaving him to wail for mercy from them and his former bride.

"So please everyone, have fun. Eat! Drink! Jet paid for it." Katara yelled before stomping back into the hotel. This time a glass pane did fall out of the door.

"Gotta go. You must be happy Sokka." Suki kissed him and hurried off after Katara with the rest of the blue covered bridesmaids.

"I'm just, I'm gonna go." Jet walked around the guests to hide himself in the hotel.

* * *

An hour and a half later the guests (from the bride's side with a few stranglers from the groom's side) were eating, drinking and dancing. Especially Katara's friends and family. Instead of taking this as a time to be sad, they celebrated. Everyone expected Katara to hide in her suite to cry. But she took her family's attitude to heart and was singing along to what Jet would call "chick empowerment songs" with her bridesmaids.

If it weren't for Suki and a drunken Sokka insisting that he stay he would have disappeared soon after Jet. It was weird having Katara's family glaring at him, hating him just because of association; not like he could blame them. And it wasn't the first time a room full of people had hated him, usually it was his own family.

"No! No!" Suki swayed as she told some distant cousin how Zuko had saved the day. At least that was her take on it.

He sat at the bar sipping his scotch, hoping people would stop bumping into him. Although it was nice to have a drink that he wasn't paying for—Jet had insisted on an open bar.

"Zuko," he turned to see Hakoda standing slightly behind him. "Just came over here to thank you. It would have been a lot worse for Katara to find this out after marrying him."

"Uh…yeah…no problem."

"Don't feel guilty son." He patted Zuko's shoulder before walking away.

Maybe he should only stay about fifteen more minutes before leaving. That was his plan up until Sokka dragged him to do shots with the bridal party.

~*~

"I'm going to head out…now…"

"Here, I'll help you…" Katara pulled the tipsy Zuko's arm over her shoulders.

"Katara you can't help him!" Sokka laughed as his sister tried to help the man who was most likely a foot taller and eighty pounds heavier stand straight.

"Yeah you're too drunk yourself!" Toph was snorting, enjoying the fact that she was now legally able, and in her mind required to drink.

"How about I go with both of them?" Aang chirped up. He was the only one who had not been drinking. He kept insisting since he wasn't yet legal, but no one would have cared.

Katara laughed and patted the bald boy on the head. "No, no. We'll be fine." She led Zuko out of the ballroom towards the lobby. Badly waving goodbye to everyone.

"Zuoou! Zuuu-Zu! Ah! Zu-zu! I'ma gonna call you that from now on."

"Please don't." He was acutely aware of the hotel's other guests watching them curiously.

"Why?"

"'Cause my sister called me that."

"Hmmm…." She seemed to disappear somewhere in her head, giggling every now and then. "Hey Zuko, I think I saw your phone upstairs." She said the words carefully trying to keep them from slurring together.

"Uh…" He felt around in his pockets. "No I have it right here."

Katara looked disappointingly at the black phone. "Oh."

"What?" he asked as she started to smile. "Hey! Katara! Come back here!" He went chasing after the former bride as she ducked around a corner his cell phone held tight in her hands.

Her laughter (and a bellboy picking up his fallen luggage) let him know to follow her down the left hallway. He saw her pressed against the wall of the elevator, smiling in anticipation as the door started to close.

"No!" he dove in front of the doors; which he forgot would slide back open if he just stuck his hand between them.

Katara grabbed him and slammed him into an adjacent wall. Oh crap! Was she going to blame him for Jet? "Katara I'm sorry, I ju—"

The Water Tribe woman pressed her lips against his. His already wrinkled suit getting worse. This, this wasn't good. No, this was very good. He thought as she nibbled on his bottom lip, body pressed…oh this was too good to be true.

Bing! The doors open and she pulled him down to the suite. He stumbled a couple of times, but that was due to Katara's habit of turning to slam him into a wall before mercilessly kissing him. What had Jet been thinking? Already Zuko could tell she would be amazing. Her excitement and passion kept him on his toes.

The door was a challenge. Katara could not stay still long enough to slide the card through, and Zuko did not help by throwing her off balance by nibbling on her ear. Once on the other side of the door Katara found herself against it. Zuko had started to become just as active. She smiled as his body pressed into hers. She was quickly finding out the answer to some of her questions as she undid Zuko's tie. And Zuko's shirt. Zuko's pants were a bit more difficult. He had to push her eager hands away to get them off. But yes, Zuko was very muscular, and his skin was really that pale. And she blushed when looking down at his boxers. Tonight is a good night.

Taking his hand she led him to the bedroom, kissing and laughing. And that was when Zuko had his first sober moment. "Katara…are you sure?"

"About wha?" She bounced on the balls of her feet, nipping his neck. When did she lose her shoes?

"About what we're do…oh Agni!" She had slid her hand under his boxers and started to stroke him. She giggled as he tried to maintain some closure.

"Help me outta my dress?" Her voice was coy. She invited him to touch and feel every curve until the elusive zipper was undone. He tore his hands over the fabric, trying to find the zipper—damning it and his limited education in women's clothing.

The dress fell to the floor leaving Katara in the white corset. And the white panties. And stockings. And those things he loved but never knew the name of that "held up" her stockings. Her face was flushed and she was lightly panting. Her dark blue eyes shone with excitement with the little bit of moonlight that came in from the window. She smiled at him, clearly expecting praise, but his inability to speak was enough. "Thank you." She tugged him down onto the bed.

He was one lucky bastard. Too lucky…

"Katara?" he pulled away from her lips. Full soft lips. He was going to kill himself for this later. "I don't think we should do this."

"Don't worry," a leg wrapped its way around his hips. He tried not to, but he had to feel them just once before he killed himself. "We won't regret this." She pressed her entire body against him, and moved in such a way that his eyes almost rolled into the back of his head.

Fuck! Jet was an idiot, and so was he. "No, Katara. I can't." He pushed himself off the bed and off her body. "It's not that I don't want to. 'Cause I really, _really_ want to."

Katara watched him pace around. "Zuko come back to bed." She was pouting and thrusting her chest out.

Agni what would it sound like to have her breathlessly call out his name. "No! No…I just. I would…I'm sorry."

"You should be," she was now glaring up at him. "I'm a fucking catch! You'd be out of your mind not to wanna fuck me! Get out! And to think I was going to do things with you that Jet begged me to do!" His knees buckled when she said this. "But no, you have to take the high road!" She was furiously gathering his clothes in her arms. "I want to have angry revenge sex. I would have been good too. Mind-blowing! You…you are his best friend and you're pretty hot! So here I was thinking why not! But what was I thinking, you've never liked me. Sorry for wasting your time." In one gracefully movement the door was open and his clothes a pile in the hall.

He sighed, not wanting to meet her eyes. "Katara, it's not like that."

"Yeah? Well it's too late. Just go." Her moment of anger left her weak and tired. Her head drooped as the tequila, beer, and champagne cocktails caused her to suffer from a painful headache.

Zuko cursed himself for the hundredth time that day as he heard the door slam behind him. He cursed himself for being a nice guy as he zipped his pants. Five months! It had been five since he got that close to sex. He cursed himself for being a relationship guy. What was worse was he was now sure Katara wouldn't want to see him again.

"Yo!"

"FUCK!" He jumped back at Toph's greeting. "What is wrong with you?"

"You know you're a nice guy." She stretched her arms out. "Stupid, stupid man." She unlocked the door to the suite. "Goodnight."

"Devil woman."

"I heard that."

* * *

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